'Three Friends Meet the Whatizzit!!!' story gets an ending by its author and four winners from CNY

Now as you probably know, after Dorothy went safely back to Kansas, her friends the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Lion did not go on vacation. Oh, no -- they all had important jobs to do. The Lion became King of the Dark Forest, where he had slain the awful spider monster. The Tinman went back to the Land of the Winkies and became their leader. And of course, the Scarecrow returned to the Emerald City, because he was its new ruler. Each had their own special adventures in their new homes, but having spent so much time together and experienced many exciting exploits, each grew hungry for the company of their most trusted friends.

And so, one beautiful spring morning, the Scarecrow was sitting on the throne of the Emerald City feeling rather lonely. He thought about it, fine thinker that he was, and realized he needed to see his good friends. He called for two messengers to come to the throne room, and sent one off to invite the Scarecrow and one to invite the Lion to the Emerald City.

One week later, the Scarecrow sat at the gate of the Emerald City, talking to the soldier with the green whiskers, and waited for his friends to arrive. In no time at all, the Lion arrived from the Dark Forest, and two minutes later, the Tinman came hurrying up to the gate. Then there was much hugging, and slapping on the backs, in this joyous reunion.

It was the Scarecrow's plan that, for old time's sake, he and his friends would take a walk down the Yellow Brick Road. On the Lion's back was strapped a picnic hamper full of lunch, for the Lion alone, of course, as he was the only one who ate.

They walked and talked, having a marvelous time. At one point the Tinman said, "My favorite thing to do in the Land of the Winkies is to watch the happy Winkies working and playing and having wonderful lives. It does my heart good."

"If she hadn't melted away into a puddle, I bet the Wicked Witch would be turning over in her grave, " laughed the Scarecrow.

"My favorite activity, " said the Lion, "is to patrol the edges of the Dark Forest. More than once I have seen an enemy approaching, and I have growled and hissed and showed my teeth and claws and sent that enemy scurrying away."

"That must take tremendous courage on your part, " the Tinman exclaimed.
"Ah well, " said the Lion, and his nose blushed a bit.
"What do you like best about being the ruler of the Emerald City, Scarecrow?" the Tinman asked.

The Scarecrow thought for a moment then said, "Solving problems, I think. When two people come to talk to me with a dispute about the cost of a horse or the boundaries of a piece of property, perhaps ... I enjoy thinking their arguments through and finding the best solution."

Their talk continued happily as they walked. They stopped and rested for awhile at about noon, and the Lion enjoyed his lunch, several chickens prepared just the way he liked them. After lunch they continued walking, and so intent were they on their conversation that they weren't aware they had wandered off the Yellow Brick Road and down a dirt path.

Some minutes later, the Tinman noticed and said, "I believe we've taken a wrong turn."

"That's all right, " said the Scarecrow, "we'll be back to where we need to be soon enough. In Oz, all paths eventually lead back to the Yellow Brick Road."

"Rather dark here, " the Lion commented, "and the trees are growing very close to the road."

They soon followed the path up a hill, and all three were amazed at what they saw in the road ahead. "Oh my goodness! WHATIZZIT?" the Tinman exclaimed.

Just down the hill a bit, was a horrible looking creature. It was almost as tall as a giant, with a monstrous head, large, droopy eyes and a nose so big that the nostrils resembled a couple of caves. The creature stood on two short, stubby legs and had two short, stubby arms. But it wasn't its limbs that the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion were looking at. It was his large mouth full of very sharp teeth.

Greg Ellstrom's ending:

Before any of the three friends were able to react, the creature roared. "Ah, lunch! You Scarecrow, I will use to make a fire. You Tinman, I will pound into the shape of a stewpot. And you Lion, I will cook on that fire and in that pot with some fine carrots and onions I grew in my garden!" Then the creature took a step toward them.

The Lion reared up on his back legs and bared his teeth. "I don't fear you, you horrible thing, and I will protect my friends!"

The Tinman stepped forward, brandishing his fine ax with the gold handle that had been made for him by the Winkies. "I so love my companions that I will gladly go down fighting to save them." And he raised the ax higher above his head.

But it was the Scarecrow who was really thinking. Lickety split he ran toward the beast, who lowered its head as the Scarecrow approached. Quicker than you could say "Auntie Em" or "Uncle Henry," the Scarecrow pulled two large handfuls of straw from his body. And as fast as butter melts on a hot summer day, he threw those large clumps of straw right into the creature's large nostrils. Then he scurried back to his friends.

"Get ready," he warned them, and they all watched the beast. The beast was huffing and snuffing. HUFFING and SNUFFING! His face was getting red. THEN EVEN REDDER! Suddenly he threw back his head and his nose burst forth with a tremendous sneeze. A TRULY TREMENDOUS SNEEZE!

It came erupting out like a gale, and the three friends had to hold tightly to each other, not to be blown away. Amazingly, the force of the sneeze blew the beast backward so that he fell onto the road with a crash!

In a second, the Lion leaped forward and poised himself right by the creature's neck. "I could snap your neck in half just as I did to the spider monster's!" he roared.

The Tinman leaped onto the monster's stomach. "I could chop your head off with this ax just as I did to the forty wolves that the Wicked Witch of the West sent to kill us."

"Oh, no! Please don't," whined the beast. "I was only kidding about eating you. It was a joke. I eat only vegetables."

"I doubt that," said the Scarecrow, "but we will spare you if you swear allegiance to the Lion, who is King of the Dark Forest, to the Tinman, who is the leader of the Land of the Winkies, and to me, the Scarecrow, the ruler of the Emerald City."

"Of course, I will," moaned the creature, and large tears dripped from his eyes.

"Such a coward!" the Lion growled.

Soon the three friends were on their way. They left the beast lying on his back, struggling to get to his feet or to roll over. Because his arms and legs were so short, he was rather like a tortoise rolled over on its shell. The three friends were sure that he wouldn't be able to get up until at least Tuesday.

As the Scarecrow had predicted, they were soon back on the Yellow Brick Road and were heading for the Emerald City.

"That was very clever of you, Scarecrow," said the Tinman. "Stuffing straw in the beast's nose."

"I knew his arms were two short to reach his nostrils," the Scarecrow explained, "and I deduced that a sneeze from his amazing nose would be explosive."

"Well, it certainly was," said the Lion, and they all laughed and continued down the road, approaching the Emerald City just as the sun was setting in the East, which is where it sometimes chooses to set in the Land of Oz.